Professional Development

A career in retail loss prevention is a professional path that can build the foundation for a great future, and take the ambitious individual in any number of directions. But it is still up to each of us to take responsibility for the development of our own careers. It’s not up to our company to do it for us, and it’s not up to our supervisors or anyone else. No one is going to hand us a pass that leads to the front of the line. Talent alone isn’t enough. It takes commitment, determination and a plan to get ahead—and stay there.

Professional development should be seen as a continuous process, and we should always be looking for ways to improve our performance. In order to maximize our potential, it is essential to maintain superior levels of professional competence by continually developing our skills, abilities, and base of knowledge. It’s no longer enough to have information; we must be able to effectively apply and share that information as well. It’s our responsibility to own and manage the process; driven by individual learning and developmental needs and carrying a personal signature for success.

Retail is an extremely competitive industry, and loss prevention has become an integral function of a successful retail model. In order to remain successful, we must be able to perform our duties with optimum efficiency, make sound judgments and interact appropriately with customers and colleagues. Our professional development must be characterized by strong problem-solving and decision making skills, a superior knowledge base, and an ability to effectively apply our knowledge and experience to the diverse situations that we face on a day-to-day basis.

Here are some of the fundamental elements of an effective professional development plan:

The ability to objectively reflect on our individual talents, skills, knowledge, and experiences. Everyone has areas where they can improve. Searching for developmental opportunities within ourselves is an essential aspect of self-improvement. Then devise a plan that keeps you moving in a positive and productive direction, addressing the learning and developmental needs that you have identified.

An education is an investment that we make in ourselves. Structured training and development, such as loss prevention certification programs and continuing education, can help address opportunities for improvement and build areas of personal strength. Seek out different methods of learning in order to meet your identified needs and goals. Conferences, associations and other functions are good sources of information and tremendous networking opportunities.

Learn the business of retail. As we step forward into a new age of loss prevention, the industry will become much more ingrained in every aspect of the retail industry. Our ability to adjust while determining how loss prevention best fits into the company strategy will help us ascertain how we can deliver the most value. Being “relevant” is no longer good enough—we have to be part of the solutions. We have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone, expanding our skills, abilities, education, experience, and leadership roles. We have to be able to stay in front of the business; driving core processes and developing new tools while continuing to support the company direction. The way that we see things and the methods that we apply must evolve, and are an essential aspect of our personal and professional development. Mature as a business partner to build towards the future.

Remain flexible and open-minded. Share ideas and opinions, but remain open to those of others. Work to improve or acquire additional non-technical knowledge (e.g., leadership, communication skills, presentation skills, etc.) that can help to prepare you for broader responsibilities when such opportunities arise. Develop your listening and observation skills as a path to learning. Growth is a process—not a position.

Stay current with the news, trends, tools, technologies, events, and approaches that shape the future of loss prevention jobs. Identify the resources that can help you remain current and informed—then pay attention. The world won’t wait for you to catch up.

A plan means nothing without action—take the steps to move forward. Complete the chosen activities and programs that you feel are necessary to help improve your learning and developmental objectives. Evaluate the results. Reflect on how well planned objectives have been achieved and any additional steps that may be necessary to reach your goals.

Repeat.

Professional relevance depends on the ability to continually upgrade our knowledge and skills. Professional security is no longer simply found in a job or in a company. True security is found by making yourself as marketable as you possibly can, and applying a well-rounded and well conceived plan to get there. Continuing education, training and skills development, lifelong learning activities, intellectual nourishment and exposure to new ideas, our own professional experience and our personal and professional networking opportunities all contribute to that plan.

A motivated and hard-working professional can explore a vast spectrum of opportunities and possible career choices in the world of loss prevention. As the industry has continued to evolve into a profession, our role continues to develop as well, taking a more global path with broader responsibilities and higher expectations.

A successful career in loss prevention requires that we embrace a global perspective of the profession. As we explore the possibilities, we must contrive a plan that best fits our personal skills, abilities, goals and objectives. Managing for success only works for us when we have defined what we consider success to be. Only you can make that decision. And only you can put that plan into action.

In the 1970s and 1980s, service in local, state, and federal law enforcement was the required foundational experience for most loss prevention leaders. Today, the ability to collaborate with business partners has become the most important competency. The retail industry has begun to require more diversified loss prevention skills.

Implementing an effective loss prevention department can be a challenging undertaking in today’s retail environment. With the multitude of different business priorities, increased workloads, budget limitations, turnover issues, technological considerations, corporate agendas, and the many competitive aspects of the organizational landscape, our ability to find a formula for success is tested Read More

Professional advancement and building a successful loss prevention career can mean many things to many different people. For some individuals, it may mean reaching a top leadership position at a particular company, perhaps serving as a director or vice president of loss prevention/asset protection. For others, it may involve gaining Read More

Building a successful loss prevention career requires dedication, hard work, and long hours honing our skills and abilities as we strive to become among the best at what we do. We spend our careers building upon our talents through both performance and professional development. We learn and grow from those Read More

Incidents of violence in the retail setting have become an ongoing and consistent problem. Nearly every day, there are occurrences that result in violent behavior, often resulting in someone getting hurt.

For example, just last week in the LPM Insider we reported that a loss prevention associate suffered lacerations after having Read More

What we say, how we say it, and what we’re doing when we say it combine to create great messages—or messages that are forgotten in the next moment. When you can “speak as well as you think,” you can drive your business results, whether you are addressing shrinkage issues with Read More

Last week, LP Magazine was in Fort Lauderdale to support the 2018 Innovision Conference where leaders and decision-makers working in the loss prevention industry came together to network, learn, and share best practices among peers.

Very soon the national conferences will once again be on our doorstep. Industry conferences provide a Read More

Two US retail chains participated in an extensive study of how to select individuals most likely to win as in-store loss prevention specialists (store detectives or “SDs”). The report is based on a very rigorous job domain and performance analysis process and should also provide practical input for retailers. Following Read More

We are pleased to recognize and congratulate an industry leader who recently obtained their LPC certification. Despite their demanding schedule and having other impressive educational credentials, they still saw the value and took the time to obtain this industry-leading LPC credential. Read More

Current Issue

From a new crowdsourcing, crime-solving tool to a thoughtful conversation with Kevin Valentine of Signet Jewelers, from the latest data and results from the NRF's 2017 ORC survey to research and insights on food waste reduction, the January–February 2018 issue of LP Magazine delivers great ideas to make you a smarter LP professional.